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Starbuck and Jim teamworked for hours of C++/COM coding to extend WMV encoding support created by DVDx Dev (James). Now you can edit every parameter of the WMV profile, save it as a standard XML (.prx) file. You can load any WMV profile containing one video stream and one audio stream, from any third party application. The standard and Ultra Edition installers contain several useful pre-defined profiles: Film (24fps), NTSC (30fps) and PAL (25fps) for computer display (low and medium screens), HD720p, VHS quality, CD-sized movies and Pocket PC (standard and widescreen display).

What's new in 2.8

Encoder:

extended Windows Media support, now the WM audio/video profile is fully editable and can be saved or loaded from standard PRX file. You can now create movies for your Windows based Smartphone and PDA as well as upscale DVD video to high-definition video thanks to WMV HD-Video.
WM predefined profiles: Film small and standard screen, Pocket PC standard and widescreen, CD-sized for PAL/NTSC standard and widescreen movies, PAL and NTSC computer low and medium file size, PAL/NTSC HDTV 720p.
multipass (2-pass encoding) isn't supported yet for Windows Media. So audio VBR 2-pass format aren't populated in the format combobox list and video constrained VBR neither.
uncompressed streams aren't supported yet, so the check boxes are disabled in the WM profile setting window.

Multilang:

updated MAX_ITEM from 100 to 120 to allow more than 100 error items.

Skins:

modified SkComboBox control to allow more drop list items (required to display 232 Windows Media Audio formats). Previously limited by a RECT[50] array, now we use a CArray (MFC) collection to dynamically allocate an unlimited number of drop list items in sinkable combo box.
added new EnableFullText method to SkEdit control (which was limited to 0-9 and . and -) in order to enable full text edition in this control (full text is restricted to aA..aZ, 0..9, space and .:*-+).
added EnableUnsignedInteger method to SkEdit control to get a more restrictive behavior, limiting inputs to positive integer entries.

Download:

DVDx standard version "ripper free" (and sources) available from Source Forge.
DVDx Ultra Edition (and all versions and sources) available from DVDx download page for VIP members only.

2. Software release: Nero, DivX, PhotoImpact, Studio

Nero 7.8.5.0

A new Nero 7.8.5.0 release is available for downlad, release notes aren't available yet.

English, French and multi-languages versions are available for download to labDV VIP members from labDV server.

For the list of bug fixes, please check the following link to Nero web site.

DivX 6.5.1

Support for two new mobile video profiles

Get better picture quality from MPEG-2 and live capture sources thanks to support for native PAL and NTSC pixel aspect ratios

Experience lower CPU use or better deblocking during playback thanks to a 10% increase in decoder performance

Download DivX 6.5 Bundle from DivX.com

PhotoImpact 12

Powerful, High-end Image Editing

New Auto White Balance Control makes colors look natural.
Enhanced RAW file & 16-bit image support.

Complete Creative Suite

New Create greeting cards and CD & DVD labels.
Advanced painting, drawing, cloning and retouching tools.
Exciting 2D & 3D text and graphics and dozens of professional filters.

Web, DVD & Video Graphics

Create tailor-made DVD menu buttons, Web and video objects.
DVD Menu Maker Plug-in* lets you make custom DVD menus.

Get it from Ulead web site.

Studio Plus Titanium Upgrade Edition

Studio Plus version 10.6 Titanium Edition combines the most advanced and powerful home video editing solution available today with the added creative options of Pinnacle’s RTFX Volume 1 library of special effects. Studio Plus version 10.6 Titanium Edition means more professional features, more supported formats including HD, more connectivity to popular consumer devices and more reliability…all in the comfort of Studio’s award-winning intuitive user interface.

Simplicity and Ease of Use
Compatibility with iPod, PSP and other Mobile Devices
Hundreds of Real-time Effects including RTFX Volume 1
Built-in DVD Authoring
All Popular Sources and Formats Including HD
Professional TV Style Effects
HD Pan & Zoom
Instant Transfer to DVD
Video and Audio Restoration
Background Rendering

Get it from Pinnacle.

3. Hardware: HP and Sony to release new Digital Home Centers

HP z560 and HP z565 Digital Entertainment Centers

Coming with Windows Vista Home Premium (and MCE) and Intel Viiv compliant, HP space-saving new HP z560 and HP z565 Digital Entertainment Centers (DECs) are updated and more streamlined than ever. With the HP z565, you can now store 800GB of music and other digital content on the 500GB internal hard drive and the included 300GB HP personal media drive, while the HP z560 has 300GB of storage capacity with a 300GB internal hard drive and an optional 160GB. HP personal media drive. More from HP web site.

Record up to three channels at once, and easily program the HP DEC to record an entire season of your favorite shows! The HP z565, for instance, stores up to 88 hours of high-definition TV or 400 hours of highest quality analog TV.
Use the slow-motion replay feature—perfect for sporting events.
Skip 30-second commercials with one touch of the remote
Connect your TV to a stereo receiver, high-speed Internet, cable or satellite hook—and get ready for superior digital entertainment!
Control all your digital media with one wireless remote, driven by the included Lifeware software, for the ultimate experience in home automation control.
Convert VHS tapes to DVD by connecting a VCR.
Edit your home videos into feature attractions to share with friends and family using muvee autoProducer or InterVideo WinDVD Creator software.
Surf the Internet from your couch using the wireless laptop keyboard with built-in trackball.
Play the latest PC games with the bundled Logitech game controller.
From $1,800 to $3,000

Sony Vaio XL3 Digital Living System

HD Media Center PC for the Living Room

Sony has introduced a high-definition living room PC with integrated Blu-ray technology, about $3,300...

With the Digital Living System™ you can watch movies in stunning HD clarity, as well as record, store and playback personal content on high-capacity BD media.

A built-in NTSC and an ATSC television tuner, in addition to a unidirectional digital CableCARD™, allows the VAIO® XL3 Digital Living System to replace an HD digital video recorder so you can watch and record TV without the need for a separate set-top box.

Learn more from Sony and read a complete review from MediaCenterPCWorld.com...

Sony Vaio TP Living Room PC

Elegant and Easy to Use

Energize your living room with power and panache. Round, white and elegant, the VAIO® TP1 Living Room PC delicately incorporates personal computing into your living space. Easy-to-use and setup, the VAIO TP1 PC is packed with the latest hardware technologies including an Intel Core™ 2 Duo processor and Windows Vista™ Home Premium operating system, about $1,600...

The simplistic style of the VAIO® TP1 PC is not just about form factor – it’s also about interface design. Taking usage scenarios and frequency into consideration, each connection point is thoughtfully placed to ensure easy, efficient access points. Frequently accessed features such as the optical drive, USB ports and multi-card reader2 are located on the front of the unit, hidden behind a curved slide-away panel, while constantly-connected terminals are hidden from sight on the back of the unit.

Read more from Sony web site...

4. Friends top ten: sites who link to labDV.com

This rubric is to thanks labDV friends who link their web sites to labDV.com:

Major search engine aren't part of this list (Google, Yahoo!, MSN, Excite and Web Crawler).

5. Software at labDV.com

Now there are 231 software available from labDV.com, most of them are freeware.

New software added in March

In Authoring DVD and (S)VCD, we uploaded fresh versions of Nero 7.8.5.0 update (Eng, Fra and All languages). And the brand new DVDx 2.8 release in DVD copying.

Get the whole software list available from labDV »»

Latest software updates

Authoring DVD and (S)VCD: Nero 7 Premium 7.8.5.0 FR; Nero 7 Premium 7.8.5.0 EN; Nero 7 Premium 7.8.5.0 ALL
DVD copying: DVDx 2.8; DVDx "ripper free" 2.8; DVDx binaries 2.8
Video editing: VirtualDub 1.7.0 src; VirtualDub 1.6.17 x64; VirtualDub 1.7.0 x64

6. VIP Pass: support us, become a labDV VIP member

With a VIP Pass, you'll access the whole labDV library, a lot of Digital Video articles and how-to's as well as a huge Digital Video software database, most of them are free. And you will navigate DVDx web site as MyDVDx and all its features.

The 1-Year VIP Pass is only US$ 39.90 (€29.90) and joining us is a strong support for all our efforts such as our ambitious new 2007 roadmap for DVDx!

And you can also currently join us for US$19.90 (€14.90) for a 3-months VIP Pass.

Support us: from time to time , we're sustaining our continuous efforts to develop DVDx software so the 1-Year Pass is likely the best deal for now.

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